Container closure



Filed Oct. 17. 1956 FIG.|

FIG.'2

United States Patent- CONTAINER CLOSURE Andrew Frank Warren, Long Island City, N. Y.

Application October 17, 1956, Serial No. 616,494

3 Claims. (Cl. 222-570) This invention relates to container closures and more particularly to improvements in mechanisms for mechanically sealing material dispensers.

Procedures are known whereby materials such as, for example, fluids are inserted into an open-ended container which, upon being filled, is thereafter closed to lock in the contents of the container.

Moreover, the mechanisms which are used to close the openings of such containers are known to perform functions in addition to that of closing the associated containers and one of these additional functions is achieved, for example, by the provision of a hollow dispensing nozzle, the interior of which communicates with the interior of the container to enable the controlled discharge of the contents thereof.

Where the contents of such containers are fluid in nature or of such characteristics that leakage from the container, or seepage therefrom, is a problem, devices which have been heretofore provided, have not achieved a maximum efiiciency in performing the closing and locking functions heretofore noted.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved device for the sealing of containers which are charged with materials to be stored or dispensed.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved material dispenser in which the possibilities of leakage or seepage of the materials contained therein are minimized.

It is, moreover, an object of the invention to provide an improved closure for a container in which has been inserted a quantity of oil or other highly fluid substance and wherein the closure operates to seal the container in such a manner as to prevent, with a maximum efliciency, the seepage of the enclosed substance from the contamer.

In accordance with the invention, a non-limitative example of a fluid dispenser consists of a flexible or resilient cylindrical container, one end of which is open and the other end of which is closed in a conventional manner. The closure for this container comprises a cylindrical neck portion having a diameter which is generally less than the inside diameter of the container. On this neck portion and extending radially outward therefrom, is a raised portion or an abutment which is circular in form and which has a diameter substantially equal to the inside diameter of the container. The abutment and the neck portion are integral to form a unit upon which is provided a cap portion which fits over the opening of the container. The cap portion and the unit are so connected as to define a V-shaped circular groove which receives the open edge of the container when the closure is engaged therewith. The V-shaped groove is so formed as to guide the edge of the container inwardly and the container due to its resiliency is thus deflected inwardly. This inward deflection is eflected by utilizing the afore-noted abutment as a fulcrum so as to restrict the deformation caused in the resilient container, and furthermore, to insure a firm engagement 7 whose manufacturing requirements are consonant with the economic considerations inherent in present day high speed production. a

Other objects of the invention and advantages thereof will be pointed out in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawing which disclose, by

way of example, the principle of the invention and the best mode which has been contemplated of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged sectional view of the open end of. a resilient container and of a closure constructed and adapted to engage the container in accordance with the invention, and l I Fig. 2 illustrates amaterial dispenser in its entirety wherein a closure of the invention is shown fully engaged.

In Figs. 1 and 2, the resilient container is a cylindrical container 10, having walls 12 made of a material such as celanese acetate which walls 12 define-with a conventionally sealed end 14 an enclosure 16. The walls 12 must be flexible or resilient so as to be able to resist deformation yieldinglyand should be such as to be chemically inert to the substance which is to be stored within the container. This substance may be, for example, oil or. any other fluid material or the substance may as well be a solid material in powdered form which thereby'requires the employment of a superior closure such as is provided by the invention. 1 r

The closure 18 comprises a cylindrical neck portion 20, the interior 22 of which is adapted to communicate with the enclosure 16 and whose outside diameter D-1 is less than the inside diameter D-2 of the cylinder 10.

On the neck portion 20 is positioned integrally therewith a circular abutment 24 which is shown in Fig. l as having a triangular cross-section. For illustrative purposes this cross-section may preferably be arcuate so as to provide a line contact rather than a point or line contact with the container. The outer diameter of the abutment which is defined by the outermost apex of the triangle is substantially equal to the inside diameter D-2 of the cylinder 10 although this dimension is of not too great consequence within large tolerances providing the functions to be hereinafter noted for the abutment 24 are achieved. The neck portion 20 is chamfered beneath the abutment 24 to provide for ease in inserting the closure into the container.

The neck portion 20 and the abutment 24 constitute a unit which is connected with a cap portion 26, the unit being identifiable in a sense as the neck portion of the closure.

The depending circular flange 28 of the cap portion 26 defines an undercut with the neck portion, which undercut is substantially a V-shaped groove 30, whose legs 32 and 34 can be either straight or slightly arcuate. The V-shaped groove 30 is adapted to engage the edge 36 of the container when the closure is applied to the container 10.

The outer leg 32 of the circular groove 30 defines a frusto-conical surface having diameters both greater than the outside diameter of the cylinder 10 and less than the inside diameter D-2 thereof. Consequently, as the neck of the closure is inserted into the container, the edge 36 of the container is guided by the frusto-conical surface in such a manner that the portion 38 of the walls 12 are inwardly deflected.

With the abutment 24 supporting the wall 12 by reason of these elements having substantially equal diameters, the portion 38 is a lever arm whose fulcrum is the abutment 24 and which is deflected by means of forces exerted through the outer leg 32. a j

The abutment 24 will execute its function although not necessarily provided with a diameter equal to the diameter D-2 and will further constitute a circular seal with the wall 12 despite differences between its diameter and the diameter D-2 due to the inward deflection of the portion 38.

It will be appreciated, however, that containers will not always be manufactured so as to have perfectly circular cross-sections. Consequently the invention contemplates an additional seal between the edge 36 and the outer leg 32 of the V-shaped groove 30. Further, as will next be described, the invention provides for the judicious positioning of an air bubble seal.

The inside leg 34 of the V-shaped groove 30 forms such an angle with the outside leg 32 that the full engagement of the closure 18 with the container 10 will trap an air bubble at the apex 40 of the groove, this air bubble insuring a complete locking in of the material in the enclosure 16, in addition to the engagement between the wall 12 and the abutment 24.

When, for example, oil is the product to be dispensed from within the container 10, the closure 18 is provided with an integral protrusion 42 which supports a hollow nozzle 44. Oil can then be ejected from within the enclosure 16 by applying pressure to the walls 12 as indicated by way of example by the arrows 46 and 48.

The closure for the material dispenser which has been described, may be machined by known method from a rigid material such as brass, the closure preferably being a very rigid structure. This closure can also be manufactured from plastic or other natural or synthetic materials possessing the necessary strength. There will now be obvious to those skilled in the art many modifications and variations utilizing the principles set forth and realizing many or all of the objects and advantages of the device described, but which do not depart essentially from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A closure, for a cylindrical resilient container provided with one open end for the insertion of material, comprising a cylindrical neck portion having a diameter less than the inside diameter of said container, a circular abutment on said neck portion and having a diameter substantially equal to the inside diameter of said container, and a cap portion connected to and defining with said neck portion a V-shaped circular groove the outer leg of which defines a substantially frusto-conical surface having diameters greater than and less than the outer diameter of said container whereby with the insertion of said neck portion into said container said cap portion deflects the circular edge of said container inwardly about said abutment.

2. A closure as claimed in claim 1 wherein the inside leg of the V-shaped groove defines a frusto-conical surface, the apex of the V defining with the edge of the container an enclosure for an air bubble.

3. A fluid dispenser comprising a cylindrical resilient container open at one end, a nozzle for dispensing the fluid, and a closure disengageably sealing said nozzle to said container; said closure comprising a cylindrical neck portion having a diameter less than the inside diameter of said container, a circular abutment on said neck portion and having a diameter substantially equal to the inside diameter of said container, and a cap portion connected to and defining with said neck portion a V-shaped circular groove the outer leg of which defines a substantially frusto-conical surface having diameters greater than and less than the outer diameter of said container whereby with the insertion of said neck portion into said container said cap portion deflects the circular edge of said container inwardly about said abutment.

Stoddard Apr. 11, 1916 Bumpass May 9, 1939 

